SNIPPETS . . .

I actually had this dream last night:

The Boston Red Sox won Game 7 of the ALCS and went on to play the Florida Marlins (who are a bunch of fish, by the way). The Marlins' uniforms were a glaring shade of eggplant purple trimmed in green braided rope; the Sox wore bright red from head to toe, including their caps and cleats. Both teams' uniforms colors stayed the same, whether they were playing at home or away. You couldn't look at the playing field, the amalgam (oooh, good word!) of colors was so hideous.

The best part of this otherwise-nightmare: according to Nielsen polls, nobody watched the World Series this year. NOBODY. As a result, the Fox Network went bankrupt. Another best part: all the radio, television and print commentary on the Series focused on the colors of the uniforms and how ugly they were. Nobody talked baseball. I mean, come ON. A Boston-Florida match-up? Who gives a flying...?! The insane and desperate Bostonians? The 3 Marlins fans in the country? Puh-leeze.

Not that I have to worry about it, of course. RO-GER!!! Send Boston home tonight, please.

***

Did you all hear about the Staten Island Ferry accident that occurred yesterday afternoon? Really sad . . . at least 10 passengers dead, scores severely injured, suffering things like broken bones and limb amputations. The ferry pilot fled the scene so fast, he left his keys behind; he broke into his own home, slit his wrists and shot himself with a pellet gun. He now lies in critical condition at St. Vincent's Hospital on S.I.

All this made me think of two things:

1. Incidents like these make me want to go medical school and become a doctor. I hate hate hate hearing about senseless injuries -- people dying, people suffering -- and being helpless to do anything about it. I know that I wouldn't be able to be everywhere at once anyway, but to be able to help where I could and heal those who could be healed . . . that would be great, and I wouldn't just be sitting around reading the news on the Internet, shaking my head.

2. People need to just stop whining, stop running away, stop pointing fingers and just take responsibility for their own actions. I hate to say this, but of course I will . . . I think it's the American way. It's the American way to say "That guy did it" or "That guy made me do it" or "The Twinkies made me do it." It's the American way to be injured somehow -- perhaps even by your own stupidity -- and turn around and sue whomever is available to be sued, in the hopes of hitting it rich without working hard for the money. It's the American way to say and most incredible of all, believe, that all of one's woes are due to someone else's interference or because someone else was successful instead, NOT due to one's own inabilities or limitations or laziness or insecurities. It's the American way to be resistant to looking inwards before looking outwards, being humble before being arrogant, being self-minded before being community-minded. So I think of that ferry pilot -- I'm sure he just freaked out. I would too, if I thought I was responsible for injuring a whole bunch of people who trusted that I would bring them home safely. Maybe he was drunk, or cracked out, or super-sleepy. Maybe something bizarre snapped inside his head, and all the synapses weren't firing the way they were supposed to. But whatever it is . . . may I dare to say, you should've stayed at the scene. You shouldn't have run away. You should've stayed with the boat. You should've TAKEN IT LIKE A MAN.

***

Those poor, poor Chicago Cubs. Those poor, poor Cubs fans. I saw them on the television, hopping up and down en masse in the streets outside Wrigley Field, waving the little things that they were waving, screaming and grinning for joy. I have no feeling about the Cubs whatsoever, other than thinking that it's cute that they are named after baby bears, but I was getting caught up in all their euphoria. "Yes!" I thought, "How cool WOULD it be if the Cubs finally made it to the World Series? Those fans DESERVE it! Look how EXCITED they are! I will be excited WITH YOU!"

But then they lost.

It was so tragic. I was caught up in a personal drama of my own at the same time the ninth inning was winding down, and I just have to say . . . compounded misery SUCKS. So, I guess I do have feeling about the Cubs. They are great. They are a team. They tried really hard, and gave their fans a fantastic season, corked bats and all. Not to get inappropriately philosophical, but the Cubs gave their fans hope, and really, hope is all people want in the world, whether it's hope for food, hope for money, hope for love, or. . . hope for a World Series win. It's all good.

So, good on you, Chicago Cubs. You were awesome to watch and fun to follow this season, however nominally I did so. PLEASE come back next year -- we'd love to play you in the October Classic.